A federal judge in New York has approved the release of grand jury materials related to Ghislaine Maxwell's case. The decision follows a request by the Justice Department, which aims to make these documents public as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law last month by President Donald Trump. This act mandates the release of Epstein-related records by December 19.

Judge Paul Engelmayer emphasized the importance of protecting victims' privacy, ensuring that materials identifying them will not be disclosed. The unsealed materials include grand jury transcripts and investigative documents from the sex trafficking cases of Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, potentially involving hundreds or thousands of previously unreleased documents. The Justice Department plans to redact sensitive information to safeguard survivors' identities.

The ruling comes after similar decisions by other judges, including one in Florida, who allowed the release of transcripts from a previous grand jury investigation into Epstein. The Justice Department's efforts to unseal these documents reflect Congress's intent to increase transparency regarding Epstein's crimes.

While Maxwell's lawyer did not oppose the unsealing, they expressed concerns that it could impact her plans to file a habeas petition. Some victims, like Annie Farmer, voiced worries that denying the release might prevent crucial information from being disclosed. The Justice Department is working with survivors and their lawyers to ensure the records are appropriately redacted before public release.

Mandy Connell